Fun with Colorado politics

In an election year already notable for anti-establishment fervor and spoiler candidates, nothing beats Colorado's political circus.

Party elites have lost control of the nominating process in the state's three biggest races: the Democratic Senate primary and the GOP contests for governor and Senate. With Tuesday's primary looming, incumbents and veteran politicians are wondering what hit them.

After spending $5.8 million, some of it raised by President Barack Obama, Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet had to give his campaign a last-minute $300,000 loan to try to counter a blistering attack ad from intraparty rival Andrew Romanoff.

Washington officials of both parties have never been able to eliminate gaffes and ethical lapses by all-too-human candidates, even though they send veteran staffers their way to keep them in line. But they often hand-pick nominees throughout the nation, mainly by steering lots of money in their direction while starving would-be rivals.

That power is under severe strain this year. Agitated voters, not all tea party loyalists, are bristling at what they consider Washington arrogance, backroom dealing and incumbents' sense of entitlement.    – More -